Vandread 3rd Mission: The Holy Grail
by RC 691 and gorolock
Summary: A salvaged Harvest cargo, Hibiki soon realizes, is enough to invoke a 2nd Harvest. But can God's angels really be involved? And why is Red Pexis always in his mind? Must Hibiki make a great sacrifice in exchange for peace? DitaHibiki Chap. 3 UP!
1. Salvaged!

Holy Grail  
  
By Gorolock and RC 691  
  
Author's note: this is a joint fanfic by us.  
  
Vandread: Chapter 1  
  
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SALVAGED!  
  
============  
  
Hibiki sat beside Gascogne, playing poker with her. Yeah, he knew he stood absolutely no chance against her, but ever since the defeat of Harvest, life seemed...boring. Why did he ever accept that Talark mission? All they did to him was either help in manual labor or sign paper work. Boring! He'd rather fight Harvest again. Good thing Dita had always been with him during that time.  
  
Dita yawned as she spectated their card game. Although the red-haired dread pilot was indeed watching them with that ever-smiling face of hers, deep inside even she could no longer withstand her true feelings.  
  
The red haired girl sat by daydreaming of possible what-ifs and other such fantastic stuff simple-minded people like her dream of...but no one would dare call her simple-minded outright, most definitely not Hibiki.  
  
Gascogne cleared her throat, breaking Dita's daydreams. The dark-haired woman noticed that the time limit was nearly up.  
  
"Boy, the time is almost over. Show me your cards." Gascogne insisted. "And don't be a weasel this time, ok?" she said with a smirk.  
  
"All right. Four Jacks." Hibiki proclaimed, slamming his cards on the table.  
  
"Four kings." Gascogne countered with a smirk as she revealed her cards.  
  
Hibiki's pride went down to an all-time low as he moaned in his now 0-20 losing streak. "Aaaarrrgghhh, I lost again!"  
  
"When was the last time you didn't? Your face tells everything I need to know."  
  
Hibiki sighed in despair. He was never going to win. To lose to a girl...ack! How he hated to lose! He saves 2 planets from Earth...and he can't win card games? Pathetic. But things like this were the ones that kept Hibiki Tokai, First Generation vanguard pilot...interesting.  
  
"Cheer up, Mister Alien. Two more weeks and you'll get her." Dita tried to console him.  
  
"Shut up, UFO gal. This is a man's game." Hibiki bellowed.  
  
Gascogne shook her head in pity. What an idiot. Must he be this idiotic to learn Dita's true value to him? Hibiki was a most interesting person, indeed.  
  
"O-okay, Mr. Alien." Dita passively said. "Dita is sorry that-"  
  
"Leave me alone."  
  
Dita nodded sadly, but a tear that threatened to fall down her cheek was softly wiped clean.  
  
"Sorry about that," Hibiki wooed to her, which made her smile in her hapiness. "I guess I kinda got carried away."  
  
Gascogne smiled at his act. Interesting boy.  
  
Suddenly the ship was rocked by enemy fire. The card game timer became ballistic because of this, and had hit Hibiki in the head, toppling him over his seat.  
  
"What the heck was that?" Hibiki complained as he massaged his anime- exaggerated bump.  
  
"We are under attack." Gascogne observed. "Question is, who...or what?"  
  
"All Dread pilots report to the hangar immediately." BC's voice boomed through the intercom in the ship.  
  
"That's me." Hibiki exclaimed, running out of the room.  
  
"I'm going with you." Dita called back as she chased after him.  
  
Hibiki and Dita went to the hangar and manned their Vanguard and Dread along with the other Dread pilots to engage a fight with...surviving Harvest cruiser ships?!  
  
Jura shrieked at the mere sight. "AHHH! Weren't they destroyed during that final battle? I had my nails done so beautiful, isn't that right, Barnette?"  
  
Barnette just sighed as she contacted Meia. "How could they have survived? Why did they attack us, Meia? How did they find us?"  
  
"Simple. They didn't find us. We run into them by accident. These are probably stragglers. We'll finish them off." She then reverted back to her old calculated fighting mood. "All units, deploy now! Formation type M59- Alpha! Jura and co., defend the ship! Dita, Gascogne and co., assume support functions! Everyone else, follow my lead!"  
  
The Dreads found themselves a hard time. The cruisers were heavy-types in both offensive and defensive stats. Meia noticed that the majority of the enemy's light craft and the Vandread copycats were focusing their attack on the Nirvana, preventing Bart from firing the main weapon. What they needed was a swift distraction.  
  
"Hibiki, let's unite so that we can serve as a decoy for Bart to fire!"  
  
"Roger that!"  
  
Hibiki quickly complied. Moments later, Vandread Meia was able to ease the Dread squadrons' work. By using its incredible speed, Meia and Hibiki had been able to distract the light craft enemies and heavy artillery. Bart saw the given oppurtunity and fired at the heavy cruisers.  
  
At the same moment, Dread squadrons plus Vandread Meia were able to repel the escaping enemy cruisers. Once the coast was clear Hibiki unmerged from Meia to unite with Dita to have some more firepower.  
  
"Hibiki, I want you to unite with Dita! The mother ship's hull is strong, and we need a breakthrough!"  
  
Hibiki followed her instructions, and Hibiki and Dita formed into Vandread Dita. After getting a clear shot, Hibiki and Dita fired the Vandread Dita's powerful twin buster cannon. Out went the mother ship's hull as it exploded. A small rectangular object was yanked out of the ship's hole by space's vacuum.  
  
Vandread Dita and Bart then fired their respective weapons again, and the crippled ship was soon no more as it blew up.  
  
Whatever remained of the battlecruisers were forced to retreat to the pirates' relief.  
  
"What was that thing that came out of the ship before it exploded?" Hibiki asked as he noticed the peculiar cargo.  
  
"I'm not sure but Dita thinks that it's a container." Dita guessed.  
  
"But what does it contain?" Jura questioned.  
  
"It could be a trap." Barnette suggested hotly. "You can't trust Harvest about anything."  
  
"Still, we can't leave it behind. I highly doubt that this is a trap, anway. Let's retrieve that unidentified object and see what is in it." Meia said.  
  
"Aye, sir." They replied.  
  
Hibiki's vandread picked the human-sized container and followed the Dreads to Nirvana.  
  
As soon as they brought the container to the ship, they were unable to open the container's lid so they had Parfeit de-encrypt the locking codes until she finally unlocked the lid but they were surprised to see a lot of cups inside the container.  
  
Some cups were made of platinum, gold, silver, or bronze and encrusted with or without jewels. Others were made of marble, clay, stone, obsidian or wood. And a message pad lay on top of the pile in the container.  
  
"What does this pad say?" Meia asked.  
  
"This says.only one of them is the one and only Holy Grail. Deliver the Holy Grail to our farthest colony. It will bring salvation to whoever possesses the Holy Grail. It mustn't fall in human hands. Keep it out of their hands at all costs" Parfeit recited all the lines on the pad.  
  
"If Harvest was after this," Hibiki said anxiously, "We've got a problem."  
  
...to be continued... 


	2. Shades of Gray

A/N- Yeah, part 2 is up after a long, long hiatus, and this one's got mood way, way deeper than the first chapter. Expect this fic to just keep getting better, better and even better than before. Plot will thicken as the story progresses. Read and enjoy!  
  
Vandread: Chapter 2  
  
===============  
  
SHADES OF GRAY  
  
===============  
  
"Is everything clear?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Yes, vice-captain..." Bart said haphazardly, obviously to break the ice. All the rest simply nodded.  
  
It had been unanimously voted that the salvaged box of goblets retrieved from the Harvest mothership was indeed authentic. The Holy Grail was now top priority of both mankind and that of Earth.  
  
"Indeed, we need to do something about this new threat," Duerro stated matter-of-factly.  
  
"We shall contact our superiors within Talark and Mejer. Meanwhile, you may all take a good night's sleep; it has been quite a day," Boss Magno concluded. "This meeting is adjourned."  
  
Again, silence. Only the constant sound of footsteps could be heard amidst the unusually indifferent crew.  
  
The footsteps were slowly coming to a deep silence now, leaving a deeply reflective boy within the halls of the conference room.  
  
How did Harvest survive that onslaught...?  
  
Hibiki sighed as he reopened his eyes. Things felt unusually weird; the silence too serene to be true. Why, the deliberation of the salvaged box seemed over in a flash.  
  
The stars felt unusually indifferent to him, however.  
  
He trudged down the now-empty hallways of Nirvana. Virtually all of the ship's crewmembers have gone to their quarters to sleep, leaving the Pexis- morphed ship on autopilot and him on sole guard duty.  
  
Which means, obviously, 2 things: Harvest's survival, and of Harvest's master plan against them. They knew neither. Earth had know been exposed to have, as he had always feared but never showed, a contingency plan.  
  
But of what intent?  
  
With that on everyone's mind, Boss Magno had wisely decided to conduct a full-scale operation...within Talark and Mejer's consents, of course. Such plans needed considerable backing.  
  
He scoffed at his humiliating position. He, of all the able women on this ship, was made on guard duty? Nonsense. He was a man of action; a man of the fight..not like this! Any hero of mankind would be insulted.  
  
And yet...he didn't complain. Not one word coming from his mouth to BC or Boss Magno.  
  
Out of character? Perhaps.  
  
It felt weird to him, though; the once gung-ho feeling he once had, that pre-madonna persona...was now gone.  
  
Misplaced, maybe? a mysterious voice told him mockingly. Or perhaps...influenced?  
  
He shook his head. To entertain his ego now would be disastrous. His current duty was making his thoughts wander, though...  
  
Disastrous? In what manner?  
  
Hibiki abruptly quickened his pace; his fists clenched. He didn't care on where he was going; he just needed to be with himself. Away from his naive, immature side.  
  
You're a fool, Mr. Tokai. Daring to elude me?  
  
Again, Hibiki paid no heed. His eyes were almost squinted.  
  
It was a mistake to assume victory over Earth.  
  
"No," he whispered to himself. "This is just some 1st generation instinct to fear Earth...this means nothing to me. We are..."  
  
We are...what? Free? What is "free"? How do you define "free"? Can you be free from "me"?  
  
"We have defeated Harvest...I saw it myself."  
  
Folly. As long as Pexis exists so shall Harvest. Can't you see? As long as humans exist the purpose of Earth can never be fulfilled. Your time in this universe has all but passed...but this passion...this passion for living...you wretched humans...it is all meaningless. Why bother with the inevitable? No matter what anyone says or does all humans shall experience pain and loss. Why even live? It is but a madman's dream to experience such a state; hating, fighting, grinding another down...the temporary dissemination of happiness is only but a frail cushion to the sufferings of existence. Such inferiority entails weakness of design; what you humans need is a cure...and that is what we are.  
  
"NO!!" Hibiki screamed, his legs taking him as fast as they could go to nowhere.  
  
Foolish creature. Your fears have already deluded you. It is what all humans fear, and it is the prime causal factor for your wretchedness. But for us, the truth has long been uncovered. We cannot die...we cannot afford to die. The very reason for living, as you say, is that it has meaning. But what is meaning? The universe has no intrinsic meaning at all; it is only you humans...who do so. Just how meaningful is your life compared to the eternity that is time? To die is to lose cognition...and cognition is the primordial root for meaning. To die is to lose remembrance of your previous life...but how could something be meaningful when you can't even remember it? Everything entails knowledge as a prerequisite; emotions, friends, family...even this "love" that you humans cherish most. Yet even you can't love what you don't know! Can't you see the foolishness? Meaning stops the moment a person dies...but for us...meaning does not, for meaning is in itself meaningless.  
  
"This is bullshit!! YOU LIE!! Lies...all lies!!"  
  
Join us, Hibiki...come and assimilate with our bodies...become immortal. Void of all wants, needs, desires, emotions...isn't that what humans all desire? Isn't this the very namesake of your vessel?  
  
Hibiki ran and ran, as fast as his legs could carry him. The once-friendly walls of Nirvana suddenly began to shrink in size, as if squeezing him to death. He could only run away towards a nearby door as he heard the evil laughter resonating in his head.  
  
This door must lead to salvation!  
  
He hadn't expected to run astray to the Pexis Plagma, though.  
  
And now...become one!!  
  
The Pexis became blood red, enveloping the helpless pilot. Deep within, Hibiki swore he saw Dita inside, the heart of all the evil in his life. Mocking, jeering, a mere toy within the emptiness.  
  
Calling his name...  
  
Noooooooo!!!!!!!!  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-  
  
Hibiki awoke in a cold sweat; his screams echoing throughout his room. It was a dream...no, a cruel hellish nightmare, that he had just endured.  
  
"Uchuji-san..."  
  
Dita... Hibiki thought in between gasps.  
  
"Dita heard you scream...was your dream a nightmare?"  
  
Hibiki could only nod.  
  
"..."  
  
"Why so silent, Dita?"  
  
"Nothing...just sad...sorry Dita wasn't there to help you out of that nightmare..."  
  
Hibiki chuckled softly, but his smile quickly formed into a deep, foreboding frown. "...don't say that. I just..."  
  
An awkward silence filled the room.  
  
"You were saying something, uchuji-san?"  
  
"...no, it's nothing. Just forget it."  
  
"Uchuji-san...but-"  
  
"I said FORGET it, ok?!"  
  
Dita's spirit fell; the vanguard pilot's cold, harsh tone shattering her good intentions. Hibiki was definitely holding back something...but what? His tone had hurt, but she couldn't afford to cry at that moment...no, not even in a million years. Her emotions would have been nothing more than a burden. Who needs a crybaby, anyway?  
  
But a single tear had already betrayed her, much to her distress.  
  
If only she could pry inside his mind...see whether or not he was hurting inside...  
  
She shook her head. No, that would be unethical. Why was she so concerned, anyway? It's not like she actually made an impression at him or anything...  
  
But he impressed her...in almost everything that he does.  
  
What was this thing that she was feeling?  
  
Was this the hidden power men had over women?  
  
It had been so long since they returned to Nirvana from their adventures together. All those times they have shared together...  
  
Even if Hibiki only shared what could be said as platonic...  
  
Despite him being so childish, untrusting and secretive in his emotions at times...  
  
"Hibiki..."  
  
She turned away from Hibiki, who was now wiping the cold sweat from his face and arms. Uchuji-san wasn't someone to be frightened so easily by dreams and such. Whatever the reason he woke in the middle of sleeping time, wasn't some ordinary nightmare.  
  
She felt so helpless, just hearing his ragged breathing echo out in the room.  
  
Uchuji-san won't make the cut. If she wanted to help at all, she'd better call him by his real name...and quit her childish mannerisms.  
  
But is his attention worth a change of heart?  
  
If only she wasn't such a simple-minded bimbo...  
  
A second tear was now making its way down her cheek, but before she could do anything about it, a callous right hand wiped it away.  
  
"Hibiki...?" Dita managed to croak out.  
  
Hibiki smiled back at her; his eyes locked into hers. "Uchuji-san suits me just fine, Dita."  
  
They then spent the entire night there; with Hibiki resting on Dita's bosom as their breaths went in synchronized slumber.  
  
...to be continued... 


	3. Battle Upon Seraph Wings

A/N-Pure action in this one. R-n-R!!  
Vandread: Chapter 3  
  
===========================  
  
BATTLE UPON SERAPH WINGS  
  
===========================  
  
Hibiki saw Dita sleeping peacefully as he stirred up from his slumber. He remembered that they had spent the whole night together, telling each other their hopes and fears. The boy was tempted to wake Dita but quickly changed his mind; it would be rude to do so. He decided to leave the room to allow Dita to enjoy her sleep in peace.  
  
The first place the young pilot went to was Duero's sickbay. When he came in, he found Duero reading books; most of them well exceeding five inches in width.  
  
"I didn't know you were the bookish type," Hibiki greeted.  
  
"But I certainly do look the part, don't I?" Duero replied with a grin; his eyes never leaving his books. "So, what brings you here? It's still a bit too early for breakfast."  
  
"Dita needed her sleep...you should know my sleeping habits," he stammered. This wasn't what he wanted to say, but apparently his brain was still half- asleep.  
  
Duero chuckled at the fact. "Indeed."  
  
Hibiki flashed a goofy grin; he hated such awkward conversations like this. Duero wasn't even looking at him! "So...what are you reading, Doc?"  
  
"Information about the Holy Grail,"  
  
"What?" Hibiki managed to say despite his initial surprise.  
  
Duero looked at him sternly. "The crux of the matter here nowadays is all focused on that gold chalice we just salvaged. Holy Grail or not, it has gotten everyone here spooked. You should've seen my last shift here. Almost everyone here kept complaining that they were hearing things. Hearing things they only kept within themselves. Like they had suddenly gone mad."  
  
Hibiki's eyes hardened now; he knew the fact all too well. "What have you found?"  
  
"I can't even begin to say that information is very terribly scarce," he admitted. "Too scarce for comfort. All of the information only suggests that the Holy Grail is a healing instrument."  
  
"Healing?"  
  
"Yes, Hibiki. According to the books, the Holy Grail was created to heal any mortal wounds of those who drink the water from it and even grant them immortality."  
  
"Immortality?" Hibiki echoed in disbelief.  
  
"Yes. And it was alleged to be designed by a supreme being," added Duero.  
  
"Is that all?"  
  
Duero didn't answer.  
  
"Is this all, Duero?" Hibiki repeated.  
  
Duero had by now scanned the last of the book he had on his hands. He sighed and looked at Hibiki, more sternly this time. With a hint of disbelief, and a lot more strength in his voice as well. "Hibiki...you don't seriously believe this, do you? The Pexis Plagma is something that science can verify. This...well, this just...do you really believe this malarkey?"  
  
Hibiki sighed. "I don't know what to believe..."  
  
The doctor's face softened. "Sorry about that. Nevertheless, Harvest won't scrounge for this thing if didn't have some form of power, right?"  
  
Hibiki nodded. "You're right. Did you tell the Captain and others?"  
  
"Not yet. Soon."  
  
Duero glanced at the clock and switched his attention back to Hibiki. "Breakfast time already? Oh, if the clock says so. Why don't you come with me to the mess hall? The earlier the hotter the potatoes are."  
  
"No thanks, doc. I'm gonna call Dita and have her come with me to the mess hall so she could cook breakfast for me," said Hibiki. "You know how it is..."  
  
Duero laughed wholeheartedly. Of course he understood. "Well, if you say so, you loverboy you," he joked with a grin.  
  
As Hibiki returned to the room he woke Dita from her sleep; it was time for her to wake up anyway. Although it was perfectly fine with him if she refused, he nevertheless had asked if they could eat breakfast together. The red-haired girl eagerly accepted the invitation with a smile, and went to the kitchen with him. There she cooked his favorite breakfast; a more traditional meal of waffles, tuna sandwiches, eggs, bacon strips, cheese, a liter of orange juice and pancakes with butter and maple syrup. More emphasis was given to the pancakes, of course. It was something Dita had learned during their voyages together. Hibiki always ate pancakes with such...enthusiasm.  
  
"Do you like them?" asked Dita.  
  
A muffled voice came the reply. Dita laughed at the sight of Hibiki engorging his mouth with all kinds of edible things; the liter of orange already needed a refill due to all that washing down.  
  
"More, Hibiki?"  
  
"Please!" the vanguard pilot joyfully answered through bated breath.  
  
All of a sudden the red alert klaxons blared throughout the ship. Hibiki moaned, as if struck with some deathly wound. There went his breakfast!  
  
"That's red alert," Dita gasped. "Dita never liked red alert..."  
  
"That must mean we're under attack," Hibiki guessed. "Let's go, Dita."  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-  
  
Hibiki and Dita went all the way from the kitchen to the dread hangar. It was a miracle that Hibiki's stomach didn't spasm through all that running. At their arrival they were met with the other pilots. Meia, ever so ready for battle, was already inside her dread cockpit.  
  
"I am glad you two made it on time," she said with a smirk. It was rare to find them on their separate ways. Meia often wondered when they would finally open up their feelings to each other...but this wasn't the time for such emotions.  
  
"I am glad to be of the service, leader!" saluted Dita.  
  
"Everybody, let's go," Meia ordered. "We've got an H-12 scenario."  
  
Meia, Dita, Hibiki and all the other pilots departed outside in space only to be surprised to see nine humanoid men with large black wings and chalk- white skin attack on one lone man with similar appearance; all of them wearing gold armor and weapons that simply shone with brilliance, not to mention an awe-inspiring glow upon their bodies. The cornered warrior, the only one among them who had white wings, fought as long and as valiantly as he could, but it was more than obvious that his chances of survival were slim.  
  
Hibiki stared at the men; obviously surprised. How could they possibly survive in space? They're not even wearing spacesuits!  
  
"Just what the hell are those things?!" Jura screeched. Goosebumps riddled her fair skin at the sight of the warriors.  
  
The winged men began to notice them, however. "Fools! Do you dare interfere with the justice of the Arch Seraphs?!" the largest of them demanded to all of Nirvana's crew through telepathy.  
  
"Please, we mean no harm," Meia asked in her most pleasant tone, "Whoever you are, we humbly ask that-"  
  
Their leader grinned evilly; his raspy voice resonating throughout every non-Arch Seraph's mind. "Ah, I know that voice! Meia Gisborn!! Kubriel was a vain fool to try and defend you and your lot. No matter. I, Reziel, and the rest of my men shall dispose of you the same way we will dispose this traitor. You have seen too much!"  
  
Everyone who belonged to Nirvana's crew had a most unpleasant shock, of course, but none was as shocked as Meia and Hibiki.  
  
Reziel flapped his glorious black wings in pure defiance. "Succhiel, weave balefire and destroy them!"  
  
One of them flexed his fingers around him as if knitting a simple cloth, and immediately fired a powerful blast of white balefire at the Nirvana. Though its shields save it, all of the dreads that were caught in its path were instantly annihilated; Hibiki Tokai's onyx eyes being a prime witness to the tragedy.  
  
The First Generation pilot angrily gripped his controls. The bastards!! His eyes blazed so hotly they seemed to scald.  
  
"Son of a...!!" Bart spat out angrily. "They're trying to kill us all!!"  
  
Magno's face appeared on the monitor of every remaining fighter. "Everybody keep alert! You've seen what they have done and of what they are capable of; they are not interested in peace talks. The one they are trying to kill is obviously their enemy; and an enemy of our enemy can be our ally. All fighters, rescue that man at all costs!"  
  
Bart smirked at the new order, and proceeded to blast the winged men with the special Nirvana energy MIRVs. Reziel and the others had successfully protected themselves from certain death, but at the cost of their armor's splendid brilliance.  
  
"They are strong, my lord Reziel." Succhiel said to his lord in thought. "They might actually be able to destroy us. Just as Harvest had expected of them."  
  
"Nonsense, Sachiel!! Take all of your men and destroy these interlopers. I will deal with the traitor Kubriel personally," Reziel ordered via telepathic link. "Kill them all!!"  
  
"Yes, my lord."  
  
Reziel swiftly fought his way through the meddlesome dreads and into a duel with Kubriel. Although quite pleased with the now-even playing field, the white-winged warrior's eyes furrowed upon the innocent people that he was supposed to protect...and were now risking death.  
  
"You've become low, Reziel. As low as your insurrection and of your superiors," Kubriel said, his voice deep and steady. "What's next, second phase with Harvest?"  
  
"Anything for power," Reziel spat in reply as he charged in with his sword. "It was a fair bargain, anyway."  
  
Meanwhile, Succhiel and the other winged men instantly formed a firm defense by covering their backs in a circle and fired white pillars of balefire in every direction. The large diameter of the balefire was hard enough to dodge; the Arch Seraphs had managed at one point to destroy three dreads with a single blast. A brave, or rather foolish, dread was strong enough to cripple the right wing of Succhiel, but was not spared of a fiery death as white balefire overtook her and her insolence.  
  
"Shelley!!!" Barnette called the doomed pilot's name; her eyes flaring at the death of a friend. "You'll all pay for that!!"  
  
"We must not let Shelley's sacrifice go in vain," vowed Meia. "Hibiki, merge with me. With Vandread Meia's speed we might be able to scatter their weakest and defeat them one by one."  
  
"Understood, leader," Hibiki rasped. The casualty rate had not escaped his mind, not for an instant.  
  
Despite the ensuing chaos in space Hibiki's vanguard and Meia's dread had successfully formed together into Vandread Meia, and proceeded to separate the Arch Seraph's defense.  
  
Thanks to Vandread Meia's superb speed and agility they had succeeded in dividing their ranks from each other. Meia readied the Vandread's weapons on a lock-on with the leanest and least-built Arch Seraph she could find, and opened fire without mercy. It had hit him hard on the chest but it failed to disintegrate him, although the Arch Seraph was badly burned and crippled; his armor nothing more than scrap.  
  
His red eyes glowed brightly with hot rage. Attack him, would they?! And by Meia Gisborn as well?! He began to weave large amounts of balefire within his fingers, the most powerful he could manage, but before he could even target the deathly brimstone fire at Hibiki and Meia a burst of energy had disintegrated him.  
  
"Ezakiel!!" Succhiel roared as a red dread defeated one of his men.  
  
Meia gasped in surprise. "Jura?"  
  
"You can thank me later!!" Jura said with her renewed vigor as she fought on the other Arch Seraphs.  
  
In pure anger Succhiel weaved unholy amounts of balefire from his fingers and threw them out against his adversaries like a sun did with its rays. One of his men dead?! No one under god's presence should even be able to kill an Arch Seraph!!  
  
He continued to blast balefire in every direction his enemies were, when a telepathic scream echoed in his mind. Rahvikiel dead?! Another scream, this time made by his most trusted aid Semakiel. No!  
  
"We've got them down to six!!" Meia called out to everyone that was still fighting as she observed Kubriel's duel with Reziel, and of the Nirvana's condition as well. "Fortunately for now our man seems to be holding his own. Bart has successfully kept the Nirvana relatively intact despite their assault. To all units! Don't let yourselves be caught by their attacks!"  
  
Succhiel hissed in sheer contempt. Were they losing to mere mortals?! Impossible!! In his misguided rage he took his golden sword, and never hesitated a moment to chop down every enemy he could find. He cut down dreads with his right hand, while he balefired others with his left. The last cry of Asmodriel made its way through his mind. He gritted his teeth. This was madness! They could never be defeated by such primitive animals!!  
  
In his anger, he had somehow managed to have luck on his side as the edge of a balefire pillar damaged the right wing of Vandread Meia; the seemingly dragon-shaped ship threatening to explode at any moment.  
  
Hibiki by now was literally fuming with hatred as he witnessed Succhiel's merciless murder of his crewmembers. Hatred so deep black in color that it made space appear gray in comparison.  
  
Do you see now, Hibiki? We cannot die, but your comrades certainly have met such a fate. Can you not see, that despite your powers, you cannot save them all? How can you even save them from our final assault, when you can't even save a few pitiful souls?  
  
Hibiki hissed at the voice. Red Pexis. Harvest. Why won't it stop tormenting him?! Even his body shook terribly at the sound; as if he was the one damaged and not Vandread Meia.  
  
"Hibiki, we must separate if we're to survive!" Meia called out to him sternly, but she was very much aware of his sudden anguish.  
  
He didn't waste a moment as he pressed their disengage system; his vanguard wielding his sword like a seasoned champion. He had put all his effort and spare time in training himself in these kinds of situations. Crying out in a frenzy, he charged in to defeat every last one of his enemies. He will prove Red Pexis wrong. He will!!  
  
The cries of Demadriel and Garanbriel rang in Succhiel's mind. They were down to three!! Immediately he spied upon Rezekiel's duel with Kubriel. Reziel was now gaining the upper hand, but at this late time? Kubriel was, after all, the very last hope of his meddling ilk. Most likely his dying comrades had given him all of their strength. A clever move, indeed.  
  
He then heard the last scream of Telamakiel. In fury hotter than balefire itself he found his victor; a sleek blue dread. The insolence!! Blind in his rage he decided to make the pilot pay dearly by suffering in a long, agonizing defeat. He fired a perfectly-aimed balefire at the blue dread.  
  
Dita screamed in pain at the point of impact; her controls cracking of electricity and injuring her slightly by lost shrapnel. Her dread's shields, as technologically advanced as they were compared to the others, had failed completely. A second shot would most definitely end her life.  
  
"Hibiki!!" she cried out in desperation. Was she going to die like this? Immediately she saw Meia and the others coming for her aid, but they were so far away...too far away...could they even save her in time?  
  
Succhiel prepared for the final balefire, when all of a sudden a cold blade, colder indeed than Cocytus itself, ended his life instead.  
  
Hibiki Tokai gasped for breath; his vanguard sword steaming with death.  
  
"Hibiki!" Dita said with a relieved smile.  
  
Reziel roared as he heard the deathcry of Succhiel. Of all of his men. Bastards!! With a cry of pure hell he kicked the now-weakened Kubriel from him; he had won their duel. He then allowed balefire to dangerously encompass his entire body. So what if he died?! More will come in his place. It was for the betterment of the Arch Seraphs; Nemagabriel would be most pleased by his sacrifice.  
  
"Prepare to die, fools!!" Reziel screamed as he allowed his body to become a literal sun of balefire.  
  
Kubriel would have been killed by such an attack, had not Jura been quick enough to save him; anyone close enough to Reziel's blazing form was sure to die immediately. Reziel, outraged by this, focused a great amount of balefire from his hands; an amount powerful enough to decimate an entire meteor to nothing. He directed the blast at Dita; the one closest to his range of fire.  
  
His balefire exterior was protecting him from enemy fire, even against Nirvana's MIRVs, but Hibiki wasn't done yet saving Dita from certain death.  
  
Hahaha...aren't we the lucky one? But your efforts are all in vain!! You cannot save your loved ones!! You may be able to save her now, but what about tomorrow? May it be then, soon or whenever, they will die by my hand!!  
  
"NO!! You lie, Harvest!!" Hibiki yelled out as he pushed Dita's dread out of the way from Reziel's balefire. "Dita, let's merge together!!" he ordered coldly.  
  
Despite his shockingly unusual callousness Dita obeyed, and their vehicles instantly merged together into the powerful blue humanoid Vandread Dita.  
  
Reziel, unfazed by this new phenomenon, had now released his powerful balefire targeted straight at the new Vandread. The blast was possible to evade completely, but Hibiki, lost in his dark angst, opted instead to overpower the attack by launching the Vandread's powerful twin laser cannons.  
  
In a great green flash the Vandread's twin laser attack was fired. The two light pillars met and tried to push the other back at its user, but Reziel was having the advantage as his balefire proved too powerful even for the blue Vandread.  
  
Meia grappled for her com-link as she saw the fear-inducing battle for survival. "Hibiki," she announced boldly, "you can't manage it any longer!! You can still dodge the attack, if you'd just let go of the trigger!!"  
  
"Silence!" Hibiki shrieked in a dark, raspy voice. He couldn't allow Red Pexis to see him struggle. "I can defeat him!! I CAN!! I am First Generation!! I am the storm of space! I...am...GOD!!"  
  
"Hibiki!!" Dita cried out to her co-pilot. She had some control over Vandread Dita, of course, but as long as Hibiki had such ferocity in the controls she couldn't do a thing. Much less with his rage...no, to call it rage was foolish. Slowly she allowed fear and sorrow overcome her.  
  
Can you hear them now? They're mocking you of your weakness. Of your utter helplessness. Why not listen to their logic? You know you are weak. Why deny that fact?!  
  
Hibiki growled at the sound of Red Pexis; its dark booming voice mocking his efforts. Him, weak?! Lies!! Didn't it hear his proclamation of power?! He was First Generation, goddamnit!!  
  
His dark eyes had flared into red. As red as the blood that stained Red Pexis. With one last battlecry he forced more power into Vandread Dita's generators; how he was able to do so did not interest him. The Vandread's reaction to this strange occurence was to immediately focus it at the laser cannons; enabling it to increase power and completely overwhelm the balefire. Reziel, as his balefire had all consumed every conceivable part of him, had no time to scream and writh in agony as green death, coupled with a more powerful attack by Nirvana, overtook him.  
  
Hibiki gasped heavily at his dark deed. His old, gentle self had returned to him, and he was quick to note Dita's stiffled sobs of fear.  
  
"Dita...?" Hibiki's soft voice trailed off, afraid to hurt her. "I...I..." God, what had he done?!  
  
But Dita, in her sorrow, had decided to disengage their union as Vandread Dita, and was the first one among her remaining comrades to return to Nirvana.  
  
"What have I done...?" Hibiki whispered to himself.  
  
Meanwhile, Meia and Jura were carefully looking at their rescued warrior. Kubriel had a face free from any beard or moustache, possessed glowing silver hair and pure white wings, but aside from those he was no different from Reziel and the others.  
  
"He's still unconscious inside my ship's shields. Let's take him to Nirvana," said Jura as everybody returned back to Nirvana, with Hibiki entering in last.  
  
....to be continued... 


End file.
